Azusa, CA (Softball) -- Sophomore Melanie Hansen's walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth inning led the Lady Owls to a 3-2 win over conference rival Glendale College on Thursday afternoon. Citrus scored their final two runs over the final two innings to start off their WSC South slate with a victory.
In what promised to be a tight game from the very beginning, Citrus would get on the board first, as they took advantage of a Vaquero miscue in the bottom of the second. Freshman Cassie Ward led off the inning by getting on base thanks to an error by the Glendale short-stop.
After subbing in freshman Tiffany Alvarez to run, the Lady Owls moved Alvarez over to second after a sacrifice hit by Amanda Mays, and eventually moved to her third after a single to right center by sophomore Jen Anaya.
With Alvarez threatening on third base, freshman Desiree Perez sent a fly ball to right field that was deep enough to score Alvarez on a sacrifice fly. Alvarez's score gave Citrus a 1-0 early lead.
Holding a slim lead, the Lady Owls were turned on their ears in the top of the fifth. Glendale's Debbie Martin led off the inning with a single posing the first real threat since Citrus took the lead. With the lead in peril, the Lady Owls committed an error and allowed Martin to score. Two batters later the Vaqueros would add another run and take the lead for the first time of the game 2-1.
With their lead gone, the Lady Owls would go down in order in the bottom of the fifth. With the game slipping away, freshman Lauren Pulley would come through with a solo shot, her third of the year, that tied the game up at 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth.
With one more inning to play, neither team was able to muster a run, so the game went to extra innings. Glendale came up first and went down in order. Citrus pitcher Brittany Patterson struck out the first and got the next two batters to ground-out giving Citrus a chance to end the game in the bottom of the eighth.
After freshman Melissa Salas led off the inning by popping up to the pitcher, Ashley Rollice picked up her second hit of the game as she sent a single to right-center field. Pulley would follow that up with a single, that pushed pinch-runner Courtney Mihm to second base. Two batters later Hansen came up and sent a single to right-center that drove in Mihm and won the game.
With the win the Lady Owls improve to 13-4 overall and 8-0 in WSC South play. Citrus will hit the road this weekend as they travel to Cypress College for a double-header on Saturday. The Lady Owls will play Cypress and follow up that game with a match-up with Antelope Valley.
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